Roof structure



A. C. LEIGH ROOF STRUCTURE May 10, 1932.

Filed Jan. 3, 1951 3 SheetsSheet INVENTOR A. C. LEIGH ROOF STRUCTURE May.10, 1932.

Filed Jan. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 10, 1932- A. c. LEIGH ROOFSTRUCTURE Filed Jan. 3', 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

INVENTOR 6.06

Patented May 10, 1932 tries.

"'T ALFRED C. LEIGH, 0F BELLEVUE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQB TO BRAVOCONTRACT.-

ING COMPANY, A GORPORATI-ON OF PENNSYLVANIA ROOF STRUCTURE Applicationfiled January. 3, 1931. Serial No. 506,356.

My invention relates to the construction of ships, boats, barges, scows,and lighters; and, while it is applicable to buildings of all sorts, itfinds practical application in the construction of roofs fordeck-houses, hatchways, and the like, and in such application I shallshow and describe it. i

Fig. I is a View in side elevation of a barge, having a deck-housecovered by the roof of my invention. Fig. II is a fragmentary view tolarger scale, showing diagrammatically in perspective details of thestructure in which my invention is found. F-ig.'III is a view similar toFig. II showing other details. Fig. IV is a view in vertical andtransverse section on the plane indicated at IVIV, Fig. III.

Barges for transportation by waterof merchandise or heavy material inbulk, decked over for purposes of protection, are provided, for facilityin loading and unloading, with large hatchways. It is requisite that theroof above such hatchways shall be removable, and preferably removablein entirety, so that when removed the whole of the hatchway openingshall be free and unobstructed; it is desirable that when applied theroof shall be smooth-surfaced and watertight; and it is to theachievement of these desirable ends, simply, effectively, andeconomically, that this invention is directed.

The barge of Fig. I includes a hull 1 and a deck 2. Through the deck ahatchway 20 is formed, and over the hatchway a deckhouse comprisingwalls 3 and a roof 30 is built. The whole structure is ordinarily builtof sheet steel, and structural shapes of steel. The upper edge of thedeck-house wall is, by means of structural shapes, provided with astepped flange 5, including two treads and two risers, as shown in Figs.II and III.

The roof 30 is, as a matter of practical necessity, formed of asuccession of sections, arranged side by side throughout the length ofthe deck-house and, disregarding for present purposes the particularformation of the end sections, these sections are (and all of them are,so far as concerns themeeting edges of two adjacent sections) identical.Each section consists essentially of a web of metal, to which thenumeral 4 is immediately applied,

which, although it might be level, is here shown to be curved to a lowarch, to span. the deck-house walls from side to side. To the web ofmetal l, at opposite ends, lengths 6 "of channel beam are united, andupon these the roof sectionrests whenapplied to the stepped flange ofthe deck-house wall. Thecha-nnel 6 rests on the outer and lower tread ofthe stepped flange 5, as clearly show-11in Figs. II and III.

Along each side of a roof section: which in the assembly is to meet alike edge of adj acent section, the roof section is provided with thefollowing structural features, illustrated in detail in Fig. IVL (1)Theweb 4 ofwhic'h the section essentially consists is provided with adownwardly extending flange. Such o a flange is conveniently formed bybending downward a marginal portion 7 of'we'b 4 and by extending suchbent-down margin by securing to it a plate 9. (2) Upon the outer face ofsuch: downwardly extending'flange a gutter is formed. This isconvenientlyaac complished by securing to the flange aZi-bar 11. Thefree flange of the Zl-bar stands verstically, and risesto a'levelslightly below' the general plane of the upper and outer surface of theweb 4. The ZL-bars extend to the ends of the sections, and the gutterswhich they form discharge, as shown in Fig. II, to the outside of theinner riser of the stepped flange 5. The marginal flangeof plate at is.at

its lower extremity bent outward, to form exteriorly beneath the Z-bar11 a supplemental trough. This troughalso, as shown in Fig. II,discharges beyond the inner riserofthe stepped flange 5. (4) To theupper face of web- Land adjacent the edge of the section a strip issecured. The unions here and else where may conveniently be, andpreferably will be, weld' unions. v

In the assembly two roof sections are brought to position'with adjacentedges arranged asshown in FigIV, and the structure is completedby theapplication of aysea'ling strip 12. This is essentially a stripof steel,of suchw-idth as to rest on either side upon thewebs 4, lyingsnugbetweenthe-strip's 8 upon adj acent'sections, and spanning-theinterval'between the downward extending flanges 7. At its ends, thestrip 12 is shaped to overlie the outer faces of the channel beams 6 ofthe cover sections, and to overlie also the outer and lower tread of thestepped flange 5, to which stepped flange the strip at its ends may besecured, as by the bolts 13 (Fig. III). The strip carries on its netherface outstanding flanges which in the assembly depend intotheguttersformed as aforesaid by the Z-bars 11. Accordingly, in convenientstructure, to the strip 12 a length of steel channelbar 14 is secured,and this channel-bar in the assembly comes to place immediately abovethe two vertically standing flanges of the Z -ba'rs 11 of the two roofsections, with the marginal flanges of the channel depending externallyof the assembled flanges of the two Z-bars, as is particularlyillustrated in Fig.

.L Snch being the details of construction, and with attention directedspecifically to Fig.

Y IV, thesethings are to be remarked: first, the closure which isprovided of the seam between adjacent sections'interrupts the smoothexterior roof surface to the extent only of the negligible thickness ofthe strips 8, and 12;

V the roof is substantially smooth, Without ob- 'structions, suchasmight on navigable streams be a source ofxdifliculty, because of contactof overhanging branches of trees orv of other overhanging bodies;second, the closure is of labyrinth character andefl'ective to preventaccess 'of water to the contents of the barge. Such rain water as maydrive or seep beneath the strip 12, and between the nether surface ofthe strip 12 and the upper surface of the 'webs 4;, will have access tothe gutter which is formed by and between the downward extending flangeupon web 4 and the Z-bar 11.

Passing through this gutter longitudinally,

that is to say, transversely, of the barge, such 7 water will bedischarged at the ends, externally of the stepped flange of thedeck-house wall. And if indeed'rain should drive in with such violenceasto accumulate on the.

outer surfaces of the Z-bars 11, the troughs 10 will serve to catchthesmall amount and deliver it externally of. the deck-house wall. It willbe perceived that this cover is secure and. V adequate, without the aidof water-proof tarpaulin or the like. 7 I olaimas my invention: I

resting upon two assembled sections between the upstanding stripsthereof and over lying such gutters.

2. In a roof structure for the hatchway of a barge or other vessel,secure against the weather, and offering minimum obstruction to travel,the. combination of walls with stepped flanged upper edges extendingalong opposite fore-and-aft edges of the hatchway,

; a plurality of roof sections adapted to be applied abeam and to restat opposite ends upon said walls, each roof section consisting essenwaywalls, and a cover strip with downturned ends applicable to twoassembled roof sections and in the assembly overlying the webs of thetwo sectionsadjacent their marginal gutter-carrying flanges, the ends ofthe cover strips overlying the ends of the roof sections and engagingtreadsurfaces of the stepped hatchway walls.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALFRED C. LEIGH.

. 1. A roof structure for thehatchway of a barge or other vessel, secureagainst weather,

and offering minimumobstruction to travel,.

including, in combination with opposite walls extending along oppositefore-and-aft edges of the hatchway, a plurality of roof sectionsapplicable to and removable from such walls and adapted to beappliedside by side and to I extend abeam,'the adjacent edges of two sec tionsbeing provided each with an upstanding strip and a downwardly extendingmarginalflange, a gutter formed upon'the face of each marginal flange,and ajcover strip v

